It Was a Face
by foggynelson'sluscioushair
Summary: It was a face he'd never expected to see again... It was a face he never wanted to stop seeing... It was a face he was pleasantly surprised to see once more. Elderly Garfield Logan and Raven Roth in 3 different timelines. I took some liberties with the universe. One-shots. BBxRae. T for language. Please read and review. It's the only way I'll get better! :)
1. He Never Expected to See it Again

A/N: Welcome to the first and saddest of the timelines! Garfield and Raven grew apart and never reconciled.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing related to the Teen Titans, although I would like to own that common room.

* * *

It was a face that he'd never expected to see again. He had sometimes dreamed about it, and in his dreams she was always there, young and beautiful, just like he remembered her looking.

But neither of them were young any longer, and attractiveness was something that had fled from him long ago. She, too, had changed so much, but deep beneath the mask of old age and the smell of death, he could still sense the Raven of younger days.

A heavy hand caused his shoulder to droop as a deep voice asked, "You alright, man?"

Garfield glanced up at Victor, who towered far above him. "Yeah, I'm alright. You?"

"I'm dealing. It was nice of Marlene to come."

"She said that she wanted to meet Raven." Garfield glanced over his shoulder. Marlene, his wife, was standing a few yards away, chatting with Barbara. Marlene saw him looking her way, and sent him a wink. Garfield couldn't suppress the smile that hijacked his mouth.

A voice crackled to life through the speakers, asking everyone to _please_ take a seat, as they were about to start. Garfield and Victor achingly moved to a pew on the front row of the auditorium. Marlene came to sit beside Garfield, intertwining her fingers with his. He gripped them tightly, drawing comfort from her touch and trying to ignore the gnawing feeling of despair in his belly.

The stern reverend standing in the box coughed into the microphone once more as Mas and Menos sped into their seats with a flash of light. "Thank you," drolled his nonplussed voice.

The two speedsters sank a little farther into the pews, causing Garfield to chuckle. Marlene stabbed him in the side and hissed "Shhh, you'll get us in trouble, too."

The reverend did, in fact, gaze sternly down at Garfield for a second before officially beginning the service. "I would like to welcome you all to this service in celebration of the life of Raven Roth, daughter of Arella Roth, Teen Titan, and hero to countless people across the world. Although it is well known that Raven struggled with her unspeakably horrible heritage and past, she managed to rise above it and create a legacy that many will no doubt follow for years to come. Here to present some final words about Raven is Batman, a close friend and former teammate."

The gnawing feeling grew stronger as Nightwing – er, Batman – er, Richard mounted the steps. The hero had foregone his cowl and cape for his simple domino mask to complement his dark suit. _This is either a throwback to his Titan days, or a tribute to Tuxedo Mask_ , thought Garfield. Part of him wanted to whisper the joke to Marlene, but the stronger part zeroed in on the words that Richard began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming out today," he said, attempting a smile. Garfield, the master of fake smiles, saw right through his charade, and realized that Richard was as torn up about Raven's death as any of them. Somehow, that realization made the gnawing feeling turn into a sharp blade. "I didn't always know Raven. I didn't know her when she was a small girl, a half-demon feared by the people around her, growing up in Azarath. I didn't know her when she was first taught to fear herself and her emotions, or when she decided to flee Azarath to find help. I didn't even know Raven when she first came to earth looking for a place to live away from fear and Trigon's influence. But I knew her soon afterwards.

"I knew her when she looked at a terrified alien girl and gave her help instead of reacting violently. I knew her when she tentatively reached out to her fellow teammates, offering support and friendship. I knew her when she dealt with the betrayal of a teammate with grace and wisdom. I knew her when she let us throw a party for her birthday, even though she was terrified at what that birthday signified. I knew her when she fought courageously against her father, and with the power of her will exiled him from Earth. I knew her when she put herself into uncomfortable situations, and rescued a team of children from the clutches of the Brotherhood of Evil." A wailing cry was heard from the back of the auditorium, causing everybody to wince. As one, the people in the pews turned to watch a tall, red-headed man run out of the back doors, followed closely by a blonde woman. The knife in Garfield's gut twisted sharply.

"Who was that?" whispered Marlene quietly as Night – Richard tried to gather himself again at the front of the room.

"Uh – I think it was Timmy," replied Garfield. "He was one of Raven's 'kids.' His power his basically the same as Black Canary's."

"That would explain a lot." Garfield glanced at his wife's face, but it was calm, and her heartbeat was steady. Victor's sniffling, however, was loud in Garfield's enhanced ears, as was the shuffling in the microphone as Richard drew his sleeve across his face.

" _Ahem_ ," Richard murmured. "I – I knew her when she defeated the brainwashing influence of Brother Blood, and saved me in the process. I knew her when she closed the doors between Death and Life, and when she worked to discover, use, and control her powers to a greater extent than she had before." Here, Richard glanced guiltily at Garfield, but only for a second. "I knew her when she left the Titans, her family, to fight the evils of the world on her own. I knew her for a long time after that, but I never saw her again."

With a final, painful twist, the knife found Garfield's heart. His hand crushed Marlene's in a violent spasm, and the blood from the wound gushed out in the form of tears. Victor's hand rested again on his shoulder, but the action only caused a beast to slip out – Garfield's lips curled back, and before he could do something drastic, he shifted into a mosquito and flew up, up into the rafters. He settled on a wide beam and shifted into a hawk, observing the ceremony from above. Only a few pairs of eyes had followed his trail, but they quickly turned back to Richard.

The hawk's sharp ears picked up the heartbeats of each guest in attendance. Each body in the room had life and breath in it, except for the one they were gathered around. Hers – Raven's. She was gone. She was really gone.

"I kept up with Raven through correspondence, as did a few other members of the former Teen Titans. From her letters, I learned that she had done a lot of brave deeds out in the world. She met many new people, and saved many lives. She did it quietly, though, as was always her way. Raven was never one for attention, as any of us who lived with her knew." Here, a few chuckles. Garfield pictured her old room the way he best remembered: a shut door, the sliver of a face appearing in the opening and a violent _"What, Beast Boy?"_ thrown in his direction.

"She did what she did for the sake of doing good, and making a difference." Another set of images: Raven catching a bus with her powers as it careened towards a baby carriage; stopping a beam before it fell on terrified citizens; standing in front of her father as a ray of pure white light; rescuing him with her soul self before he was crushed beneath Dr. Light's crazy machine.

"She settled down, at the end, in a Chan Buddhist temple in China. She said that it reminded her of the peaceful, meditative ways of her people; and with her age and the strain of her lifestyle, her mental control began breaking down. The monks offered her a place to live in rest and comfort, and in her final selfless act, she gave the last of her strength to defend them from a terrorist group. They say that the bullet that killed her was quick and effective, and that she felt no pain." The last word was cracked and broken, and filled with sorrow. "I pray that they were right, and that Raven left this world without any more struggle or sadness."/

Richard turned towards the open casket at the front of the room, where the woman-who-was-not-Raven lay silently. "Thank you, Raven, for your life. We celebrate it here today, all of us. We remember you."

Garfield felt a wave of rage well up in his chest, unreasonable and unwanted, yet strong enough to carry him from the rafter to the back door of the church, and from there to the outside world. He blindly flew away from the church, looking for something he wasn't sure of. He knew it when he spotted it, though – the tower, standing on its island in the bay, looking for the most part as it had when he had lived there with her.

The green hawk landed softly onto the roof of the tower, hoping that Cyborg 3.0 hadn't installed any security measures up here, and that he could have space and peace. It was a little after three in the afternoon, so the sun shone fully off of the blue waves and the city buildings that surrounded Titans Tower. Garfield slipped back into human form, wincing and stretching his arms. Flying sure wasn't as easy as it used to be. One of these days, he wouldn't even be able to do the shortest of flights. The thought re-ignited his rage.

"This is complete bullshit," he growled into the wind, his fists curled and teeth bared against some unseen enemy. "Raven, why did you – have to go? Why did you have to go before I said goodbye?" His growl turned into a cry, and then a scream. "Why did you leave me? Why didn't you give me a second chance? Why did we have to get so old – so damn old?" Garfield shifted, almost uncontrollably, into a gorilla, and slammed his giant fists into the concrete. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but the physical pain eased some of his emotional turmoil. Even so, he curled up onto the cracked pavement and sobbed harder than he had since Terra's betrayal. Back when they were all so young. _Why couldn't things have stayed that way?_ a small voice whimpered in the back of his mind. _Why couldn't we be young forever, all together in this tower? What I wouldn't give to make her laugh just one more time; to kiss her just one more time. I was such an idiot. Such a fucking idiot._

A new smell and the sound of footsteps alerted his senses that someone had entered the territory of the roof. Almost immediately – and a little shakily – Garfield rose to his feet, and prepared to face the newcomer. He beat back the animal instincts screaming at him to attack the intruder on his privacy when he saw that it was Cyborg 3.0. "I'm sorry to interrupt," the teenage half-robot said, "but, is there anything I can do to help, Mr. Logan, sir?" She came closer and extended a box of tissues. "I can leave you alone if you want, but I heard a sound and came up to investigate. I – I know the funeral was today, but I couldn't go because of an emergency maintenance problem with the tower. I was really sorry I couldn't go. Ms. Raven seemed like a really cool person."

"Sh - she was," rasped Garfield, his voice shot by his sobbing. He gratefully took the tissues from her, and didn't protest when Cyborg came to sit on the ground beside him. She glanced at the broken concrete with a grimace, but didn't say anything while he blew his nose and dried his face. The rage in his mind was calming, but he could still feel it writhing just beneath the surface.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the cybernetic girl finally asked.

Garfield brushed off the question with a smile. "Listen, I'm sorry for intruding. This was the only place I could think of to come for some privacy."

Cyborg shrugged and kicked her feet over the edge of the building. "You lived here at the beginning, right? When the Titans were founded?"

"Sure did. It was really, really cool. The Titans really made me who I am today."

"Uh, an old guy crying on a roof?"

Garfield choked, and cracked up laughing. He really couldn't help it. The image of himself in that position seemed so ridiculous and insane, it was a wonder that Cyborg hadn't just immediately called the cops and had him put in a high-security asylum.

Cyborg joined him in his laughter, and the two wore themselves out before descending back into amiable silence. "You know, Mr. Logan, you're a pretty cool guy," said Cyborg. "Why don't you come by the tower and visit some, like Batman and Mr. Victor do?"

Garfield grimaced. "First, it's just Garfield. Not Mr. Logan. And second, I, uh, left some pretty bad memories here." He was feeling surprisingly open to talking with this virtual stranger. But it surprised him only a little. He had always been friendly, and sometimes it was easier to deal with people who didn't know all of your flaws and deep, dark secrets than it was to deal with those who did. "Broken friendships that just never healed, stuff like that. I was pretty stupid back in the day. And then I continued to be stupid for years until it was too late to fix anything. And now… the person I let go is gone for good."

"Wow. That's… really sad."

Garfield said nothing, but reveled in his despair, staring at the point where the sea met the sky, until Cyborg spoke again.

"You really loved her, huh?"

Garfield's head jerked up. He looked, startled, into the pair of young, hopeful hazel eyes in front of him. How had even she seen right through him? "Yeah, I loved her a lot."

"So, she can't really be gone, right? I know I don't know a ton, but her influence and her love left a mark on your life. Like a horcrux, I guess. So, she can't really be gone, as long as you and everyone who loved her remember."

"Okay, Dr. Cyborg. That was really, really cliché."

"Call me Dr. Cyborg again and see how 'cliché' I can be, old man." They both chuckled. "So, do you wanna see her statue?"

The statue. Of course, they would have made one for her. He had forgotten about that part of it. "Actually, I would like that a lot."

"Alright, old man. This is an exclusive tour, so no touching anything, and no turning into a giant gorilla and smashing anything else." The girl stood and help out her metal arm to help Garfield to his feet.

"Unless you've got a copy of Mega Monkeys 6 in there, you should be safe," he said reassuringly.

Cyborg giggled. "Oh, geez, don't even mention that game to me! I would burn down the tower if that thing even entered the building."

"Hey, nice taste in games! I think that the Titans are going to be alright, as long as you're here." Garfield flashed her one of his patented smiles, which she returned. The two made their way into the cool shelter of the tower. It smelled sort of the same, with a mix of teenage hormones, sweat, and junk food. But underneath was 50 years' worth of entirely different scents. Homesickness clawed at his senses as Cyborg – this new Cyborg – led him past the common rooms. That room used to be his own. That room had been the original Cyborg's. And that room had been Raven's. They walked past a gym that had been renovated with entirely new technology and machinery, and into a common room that reflected the neo-culture with neon and giant screens all over the place.

"It's pretty different, huh?" said Cyborg with a grimace. "But it's not all different. If you wanna come by sometime, I have an old-school game station with Mega Monkeys 3. We could totally play."

Garfield nodded, but was silent, lost in reminiscing.

Cyborg descended one more flight of stairs and pressed her hand to a controller pad. A hydraulic door hissed open, revealing a dark chamber. The lights flickered slowly to life. The room was wide, open, and strewn with violet and white flowers. Several statues lined the sides of the room, remembrances of Titans past. There was Jinx, carved from marble and larger than life, near the front. He wandered farther into the room, glancing past Wally's statue, and Pantha's, and Jericho's, and Kole's. So many had passed on since he had distanced himself from the Titans.

But there, in the back corner, illuminated by a violet spotlight, was a perfect replica of Raven as she looked when she first became a Titan. The carver had put her in her original uniform of a leotard, elfin boots, and cape. Her hood was down, and her eyes stared challengingly ahead. Her legs were folded in front of her, and her hands were held out in a meditation pose. Garfield stared at it, feeling a mix of emotions storm inside of his chest. Sorrow at the loss of her soul from the world, rage at himself for letting her go from him so easily, and happiness in the memories and love they had shared, even if it had been for such a brief time. He gently reached out and touched the statue's cheek. It was cold, and strong, and seemed such an appropriate tribute to her memory. "Goodbye, Raven," he whispered.

There was a shuffle of feet and a cacophony of noise as what Garfield could only assume were the mourners from the church arrived to appreciate the statue as well. Garfield let his hand fall away from the effigy and stepped back just as the mourners began to file in. First came Richard, followed closely by Victor, who was holding Marlene's arm. Richard gave Garfield a dismissive look, but Marlene cried out and rushed to her husband. "Garfield, where were you?" she asked gently as she buried her face in his neck. "I was so worried when we couldn't find you at the church. I wasn't sure if you were going to hurt yourself, or if something was going to happen to you and nobody would know." Garfield held her close and breathed in her scent – wildflowers and jasmine.

"I told her you were probably here," said Victor, appearing behind Marlene. He crossed his arms and smirked. "Did you get it worked out, green bean?"

Garfield smiled genuinely at his friend. "Yeah, I think I got it worked out, Vic." He held Marlene out and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry if I worried you, babe. I just had to deal with some things that I haven't wanted to deal with for a while. I'll… tell you about it when we get home."

"Excuse me," came the voice of Cyborg 3.0 from a few feet away. "Mr. Victor, and Mr. Garfield, would you like to play a round of Mega Monkeys 3 with me before you leave? It would be a total honor to watch you guys play together. Also, I hold the high score now, and I'd like to know if either of you 'legends' have what it takes to beat me." Garfield turned to Marlene, who smiled, and then to Victor, who had a dangerous gleam in his eye.

"You're on," both old men said at the same time, as they turned away from the ghosts of the past and into the future.


	2. He Never Wanted to Stop Seeing It

A/N: Welcome to timeline 2! Warning: a ton of fluff. Like, a sickening amount. :) This one is much happier, as Raven and Garfield have been married for 45 years. Also, apologies for the length; it turned out to be a much more involved story than I had originally planned. Reviews welcome!

Oh, and the hare joke is definitely from the interwebs. I am no good at puns.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing related to the Teen Titans.

* * *

It was a face that he hoped he'd never stop seeing. The way she smiled at him – on the occasion that he could make her smile – still made his knees weak and his heart beat faster. He sometimes wondered if it was normal for an almost 70-year-old man to feel like a lovestruck puppy; then again, if it wasn't, normal could just go screw itself and leave him in his happiness.

Today, they stood hand-in-hand on the second-story balcony of the Dayton estate, observing the crews that were working to set up for the 55th Anniversary Dinner of the Teen Titans. Raven was purposefully keeping her distance from the milling dozens, but Garfield was only taking a small break before jumping back into the fray of organizing the whole event. "I'll have O'Hara bring up your tea in a few minutes, babe," he said with a squeeze of her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said, staring at a group of men moving in a giant Titan Tower-shaped ice sculpture. "But this whole thing seems a little over the top. Are you sure we need that?"

"Well, yeah. No Dayton Estate party was ever less than over-the-top," Garfield said with a chuckle. "You know what they say – 'If you've got it, flaunt it!'"

Raven gave him her ultra-supercilious look; the one she saved for special occasions. "Even if flaunting it makes us look like rich assholes?"

"Since when have I ever been afraid to make an ass of myself?"

"I swear, Gar, if you turn into a donkey right now, I'm going to throw you over this balcony."

Garfield was, thankfully, not past the point of no return, and stayed in human form. "Come on, Rae, what makes you think that I would ever do something so juvenile?"

"Maybe the fact that you did it last week?"

"I did?"

"Yes. Mostly definitely. Don't you remember me throwing you into the pool?"

"Uh, sure, yeah, of course I do. So, let me go check on your tea…"

"Gar, are you really going to wear that ridiculous thing all night?" Raven's hand grasped Garfield's wrist as he tried to make his getaway, and she gently turned him to face her. "You know you look perfectly fine without it."

Garfield grimaced and touched the faux hair that covered the top of his head. "But, Rae, how am I supposed to be a dashing host if I'm bald? Nobody will take me seriously."

"I take you seriously. Timmy, Melvin, and Todd take you seriously. Victor and Karen and Richard take you seriously. Why wouldn't the rest of your guests?"

"I know… Ooh, Rae, listen, I've got a good one! What do you call ten Arctic hares hopping backwards together through the snow?"

"Oh, Azar." Raven face palmed, but Garfield could definitely see the hint of a smile on her face. "I don't know. What do you call ten Artic hares hopping backwards together through the snow?"

"A receding hare line!"

With that, Raven picked up Garfield in her soul self, smirked at him, and threw him over the balcony. "Don't forget my tea!" she called after him.

Garfield shifted into a hawk and gathered the wind under his wings, swooping up and away from the ice sculpture just in time. "You did that one purpose," he muttered as he landed and slipped back into his human form. "Keep that sculpture safe!" he called out to the movers, who gave him a strange look in return.

Garfield stopped by the gold-gilded hall mirror to make sure that his toupee was still in place before making his way into the gigantic kitchens. "O'Hara!" he called out, scanning the busy kitchen for the pinched-faced woman. Suddenly she was there, appearing as if from nowhere, asking, "Can I help you, Dr. Logan?"

"Geez, O'Hara, give a guy some warning next time," complained Garfield, clutching at his chest and leaning against the wall behind him. "Can you please make sure that Mrs. Logan gets her tea? And make sure it's the jasmine."

"I'm assuming she'll be in the library?"

"Yes, she will. Thank you, O'Hara."

"It's my pleasure."

Garfield fought the urge to stick his tongue out at O'Hara's sarcasm. If it wasn't for the fact that she was Questor's daughter-in-law, and practically family, she would have been fired a long time ago. But Garfield was trying his best to run the house as smoothly as possible, keeping it safe in Steve's memory.

It wasn't an easy thing to inherit the legacy of the world's fifth richest man. The only thing that kept him sane some days was Raven's unfailing support.

Garfield occupied himself for the next few hours in making his way around the huge estate, checking and double-checking on the decorations, entertainment, food, and RSVP list. Over two hundred heroes had been invited to help the Titans celebrate, and most of them had acknowledged that they could make it. Everything had to be perfect.

It was finally half an hour before show time, and at O'Hara's insistence, Garfield made his way upstairs to get ready. He chose the form of a sparrow and flew up the ornate stairwell in order to spare his knees from the excruciating pain of climbing. He flitted down the long upstairs hallway and came to rest in front of the double library doors. With a gentle knock, he opened them and peered in, but the room was unoccupied. He was alarmed, however, to see the remnants of a shattered tea mug and several damaged books on the floor.

He flitted back down the hall to the door of Raven's room, where she stored her wardrobe and more personal knick-knacks. Again, he knocked before opening, and spotted her sitting at her mirrored vanity. She had her eyes closed, and seemed to be meditating. Garfield stepped into the room, silently closed the door, and waited for her to finish.

After several minutes, she opened her eyes and turned them to where he stood. "Hey, Gar."

He shuffled over to where she sat and placed his hand carefully on her shoulder. "Hey, Rae."

"I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little… Weak."

"Worried about something? If it's the party, I know you'll be great. You can always just stay by me, and

I'll have my shields up, so you won't have to deal with any extra emotion…"

"No, it's not the party," she said, closing her eyes once more. Her forehead gathered up extra wrinkles, and she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "At least, I don't think so."

"What happened in the library? I saw the cup and books."

Raven sighed, and reached up to place her hand over his. "It was the strangest thing. The book I was reading was an exceptionally sad one, about two ancient demon lovers who were separated from one another, and forced to spend eternity as only a memory to the other. For some reason, my emotions… Well, they got out of control as I reached the end of the story, and before I could reign them back in, I had destroyed part of the library." Her voice sounded thick with worry, and Garfield jumped as the upper right corner of the mirror cracked. "I haven't done anything like that in decades, Gar."

Garfield deadened the emotion of anxiety that threatened to overtake him, helped her stand, and sat her on the edge of her bed. He painfully lowered himself next to her, and pulled her into him, so that her head was resting on his shoulder. "It's probably just old age," he murmured into her hair. "It's nothing to worry about. We'll handle it."

"But what if we can't, Gar? What if I really lose control? What if Tr – Trigon manages to return because I'm getting old and weak?" Tears began streaking down her face, but Garfield's enhanced eyes could see nothing breaking in the room yet.

He held her a little tighter and said, "Then we'll find a way to beat him back."

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"Stop saying you're sorry. Rae, there's nothing to be sorry about."

"Yes, there is. I'm sorry that you have to keep fighting the same battles with me. I'm sorry that I can't give you the best, most carefree life. I never could. I'm sorry that as long as you stay with me, you'll never be free of my curse. You gave forty-five years of your life to this, and I'm sorry." This time, the mirror shattered, and the statue of the Janus masks that had characterized Raven's room since her youth toppled over. Some of the books from the bookshelf flew off, and one narrowly missed hitting Garfield. He hoped that Raven wouldn't notice.

Garfield gave his wife some time to cry, and as her tears seemed to be drying up, he used his sleeve to wipe her face. "Look at me, Raven," he said as gently as possible. She opened her eyes, but looked more at his nose that at his eyes. "Look at me," he urged again. She tentatively lifted her violet orbs to his green. He felt his breath catch in his chest. How had he ever managed to attract someone as beautiful as she?

"Do you remember what we talked about when we first thought about getting married? I don't remember some things, but I do remember this. We said that our marriage was probably going to be all about fighting. We were going to fight with each other, and we were going to fight alongside one other. I would help you fight your battles, and you would help me fight mine. That was the deal, and the deal hasn't changed just because forty-five measly years have passed."

"I know," she said softly, turning her eyes away. "It just feels like you got the short end of the stick in that deal."

"Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "You have so much to put up with when it comes to me! I'm obnoxious, I think I'm hilarious when I'm really not, I have a terrible case of depression mixed with survivor's guilt, not to mention my inferiority complex. Plus, my DNA is as screwy as a squirrel. That seems like a huge heap of problems for you to help me deal with."

Raven smiled. "Well, when you put it that way…" she murmured.

Garfield's face split into a huge grin. "Hey, listen," he said. "I've gotta run and get ready for the dinner. You take your time, and meet me downstairs when you feel up to it. Don't push yourself, Rae. I love you." He kissed her forehead and rushed out of the room as fast as his damaged knees could take him.

Raven sighed into the silence he left, and began getting ready for the party.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

When Raven was finally dressed, she took a deep breath and one last look in the mirror. Hair styled – check. Gown fitted – check. Shoes on feet – check. Makeup – check. Earrings – check. Some days, she missed the simplicity of simply being a hero, and not a billionaire's wife. At least heroes could get away with wearing leotards and cloaks. But people like her were expected to set the trend in fashions and help promote certain designers, so here she was, wearing this ridiculous Gabanna XV dress. Weren't old people supposed to wear robes and slippers all the time, anyways?

She chuckled at her own joke, and exited her room, pushing her worries about her emotional control to the back of her mind. She was surprised to see Timmy standing at the top of the stairs, waiting for her, his salt-peppered red head bouncing along to the music coming from downstairs. His face lit up when he spotted her. "Hey, Mom," he said, pulling her arm through his and giving her a peck on the cheek. "Dad asked me to escort you this evening. I hope you don't mind. You look gorgeous, by the way."

Raven blushed. "It's nothing, really." She remembered to hold her head up as she and her adopted son descended the stairs together. She could not only feel the eyes of the party guests on her, but also their happiness and excitement and anxiety. Their emotions beat on her weakened soul like so many jackhammers. _Keep it together, Raven. Keep it together. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos._ She sent out her emotional probes, searching for one soul in particular, and found him. He only sent out the merest waves of peace and contentment, just for her. She latched onto those emotions, and let them soothe her soul. Now she could see Garfield, standing at the base of the stairs, watching her descend with that goofy grin on his face.

"Hey, Mom," Timmy whispered into her ear as they neared the bottom. "Did you see what crawled onto Dad's head and died?"

Raven almost laughed, but she pinched Timmy's arm instead. "Don't tease him so much. He's just trying to make a good impression to his guests."

Timmy chuckled, and greeted Garfield as they stepped off the staircase and onto the entrance hall floor. "Doesn't she look stunning, Dad?"

"Absolutely. I'm going to look like even more of a moron standing next to her. Not even this toupee can save me, now."

"Dad, it could never save you… Ow!" Timmy rubbed his elbow where Raven's dark energy had zapped him. "Alright, alright. Sorry, Mom. I'm going to go check on the… uh, food."

Garfield and Raven watched Timmy's retreating figure before turning to one another. "Madame," Garfield said in his most over-the-top voice, bowing and offering her his arm.

"Gar, you idiot," muttered Raven, ignoring the laughter from the onlookers. She put her hand on his jacketed arm, and held on tightly.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

He led her from group to group, always introducing her as "Raven, original Teen Titan." That was the title that held the most honor for them here. She answered questions and did her best to act delighted to meet the many heroes in attendance, most of whom were decades younger than she was.

Thankfully, the mingling only lasted for another half hour before dinner was announced. Raven and Garfield sat at a table with Victor, Karen, Richard, and Barbara, so she felt comfortable while she enjoyed her double smoked salmon and potatoes. Garfield munched on his mushroom risotto with peas, but never dropped his emotional shield, so that she could hold on to him whenever she needed it. By the time dessert came around, Raven's thoughts had turned back to her guilt. _He doesn't deserve this,_ a voice whispered from the dark recesses of her mind. _He should spend his night enjoying the party, not acting as some emotional crutch for you. You're dragging him down, just like you always do._

"Whoa, Rae! Are you alright?" Victor's worried voice came crashing into her thoughts, and she realized that the bowl of potatoes was now scattered in pieces all over the table.

"Oh!" she cried, jumping up. "I'm so sorry." She desperately wished for a hood to cover her face, and turned to run back inside. Garfield managed to grab her hand before she could go.

"It's okay, Rae," he murmured. She could feel the calm and peace from his aura seeping into her own. "No other tables noticed, and our friends are the last people who will judge you. Please, stay. Don't run."

Without another word, she sank back into her seat and snuck a look at the others. They were all occupied with clearing up the mess, except for Victor, who had speared a potato that had landed on a piece of lobster. He held up the combination for all to see. "I think I'll call this new, legendary cuisine lobtato," he said dramatically, shoving the food into his mouth. "Mmm, tasty!"

"Hey, let me try," said Richard with a laugh. Soon, they all had tasted lobtato, except for Garfield, and all agreed that it was a delicious creation.

"Nice culinary skills, Rae! I guess my lessons all those years ago finally paid off!" Victor chuckled. "Hey, you still remember how to change the oil on a car, right? All of this fancy living hasn't turned you soft?"

"Of course I remember," said Raven. "I'm pretty sure I could re-build the T-Car with all I still remember from what you taught me."

"String bean, you are one lucky man," said Victor with a grin. "Karen here can't change the oil in a car to save her life."

"Yeah, but I can outsmart you any day of the week when it comes to computer programming," said Karen in mock-anger, hitting him with a piece of lobtato.

Raven felt Garfield's hand cover her own beneath the table, and the two grinned at each other. _What was I even worried about?_ wondered Raven.

She made it without a hitch through the speeches, and awards ceremony, and the memorial for all the Titans who had already passed on.

The party descended into a dance afterwards, and Garfield led Raven in one slow dance before leading her out to the quiet backyard. "What about the guests?" she protested. It wasn't like him to miss out on being social.

"I have a surprise," he said with a mysterious grin. He stopped her before they made it to the entrance of the walled garden. "But first, can you help me take this thing off of my head? Just rip it like a band aid." Raven enthusiastically tore off the green toupee and handed it to Garfield, who was rubbing his head and wincing. "It's just not worth it," he muttered before throwing it into a nearby bush.

Then, he took her hand, intertwining her fingers in his, and led her into the garden. Raven gasped.

There, in the long entryway, surrounded by the spring blooms of roses and hydrangeas, was her family. It was Richard and Barbara, and Victor and Karen, and their kids, and Timmy with his family, Melvin with hers, and Todd with his new wife. It was everyone she cared about. The women and girls were lined on one side, and the men and boys on the other. Each held a bunch of flowers, and all of them cheered with the appearance of the Logans. "Gar, what is this?" Raven asked breathlessly.

Garfield rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. "Uh, welcome to our wedding number two?"

"Wha – "

Garfield was suddenly on his knee, in the dirt, in front of her. She winced at the wave of pain that ran through him, but he didn't even pause in his speech. "Listen, Raven. We've had forty-five years of marriage so far. You are the great love of my life. I know that, even now, I could manage to live without you. But I never want to. I never want to stop seeing your face in the morning. I never want to stop trying and failing to make you laugh. I never want to stop holding your hand. You are my best friend, and the most beautiful woman I have ever known. We're getting older, and things have started to get a little rough, but I don't want that to mean the end of us. I want us to get stronger, and not weaker. So, please, Raven Arella Roth, will you renew your vows with me?"

Raven laughed, and everyone's boquets exploded into a shower of flower petals. "Cool!" cried the younger kids, losing control and racing through the strange rain.

"Uh, I'll take that as a yes?" asked Garfield hopefully.

"Yes," grinned Raven.

They made their way through the falling flower petals to stand under an archway of roses, and in front of their friends and family, promised once more to be one another's teammates, and fight alongside one another no matter the battles to come. Victor cried, and even Richard's lips were seen to have been twitching.

As Raven leaned in to touch her lips to her husband's, she prayed desperately to Azar, _Please, don't let me ever stop seeing his face._


End file.
